You want to maintain a D3 blood level of 40-70 year round. Over 100 is toxic.

Most people go deficient during the winter months and there blood level drops down to around 15.

Dosage: 1,000 IUs per day for every 15kg of body weight.

See: Use of Vitamin D in Clinical Practice, by John J. Cannell, MD and Bruce W. Hollis, PhD

I weigh approx. 170 pounds and take approx. 5,000 or 6,000 IUs per day.

I give my six year old child approx. 1,500 IUs per day.

It takes about one month to get your blood level up into the therapeutic range. You should get the blood level tested twice per year.

You can skip it during the summer months if you sit out in the Noon sun for about 20 minutes three times per week. Each session will naturally produce approx. 10,000 to 20,000 IUs. Older people and people of color have difficulty creating D3 by sitting out in the sun.

You want to maintain a D3 blood level of 40-70 year round. Over 100 is toxic.

Most people go deficient during the winter months and there blood level drops down to around 15.

Dosage: 1,000 IUs per day for every 15kg of body weight.

See: Use of Vitamin D in Clinical Practice, by John J. Cannell, MD and Bruce W. Hollis, PhD

I weigh approx. 170 pounds and take approx. 5,000 or 6,000 IUs per day.

I give my six year old child approx. 1,500 IUs per day.

It takes about one month to get your blood level up into the therapeutic range. You should get the blood level tested twice per year.

You can skip it during the summer months if you sit out in the Noon sun for about 20 minutes three times per week. Each session will naturally produce approx. 10,000 to 20,000 IUs. Older people and people of color have difficulty creating D3 by sitting out in the sun.

What is vitamin D toxicity, and should I worry about it since I take supplements?

Answer

from Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.

Vitamin D toxicity, also called hypervitaminosis D, is a rare but potentially serious condition that occurs when you have excessive amounts of vitamin D in your body.

Vitamin D toxicity is usually caused by megadoses of vitamin D supplements — not by diet or sun exposure. That's because your body regulates the amount of vitamin D produced by sun exposure, and even fortified foods don't contain large amounts of vitamin D.

The main consequence of vitamin D toxicity is a buildup of calcium in your blood (hypercalcemia), which can cause symptoms such as poor appetite, nausea and vomiting. Weakness, frequent urination and kidney problems also may occur. Treatment includes the stopping of excessive vitamin D intake. Your doctor may also prescribe intravenous fluids and medications, such as corticosteroids or bisphosphonates.

Taking 50,000 international units (IU) a day of vitamin D for several months has been shown to cause toxicity. This level is many times higher than the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for most adults of 600 IU of vitamin D a day. Doses higher than the RDA are sometimes used to treat medical problems such as vitamin D deficiency, but these are given only under the care of a doctor and only for a short time.

Although vitamin D toxicity is uncommon even among people who take supplements, you may be at greater risk if you have health problems, such as liver or kidney conditions, or if you take thiazide-type diuretics. As always, talk to your doctor before taking vitamin and mineral supplements.